Discover St. Joseph’s 5 Step Discernment Process

Be Quiet One of the most remarkable things about St. Joseph is that he doesn’t speak a single word anywhere in the New Testament. But didn’t Jesus talk… a lot? Sure he did. But we also see him going off alone for quiet and solitude. What did Jesus learn from Joseph’s silence? Attentive listening for God’s voice.
Be Righteous Matthew’s Gospel calls St. Joseph a “righteous man” – a man who lived his life according to the Law. And towards the end of that same Gospel, Jesus is referred to twice as a righteous man. Coincidence? I think not! It sounds obvious, but the best way to hear God’s voice in your life is to attune your entire life to Him by actively living the Faith. When you live every aspect of your life the way God intends you too, it becomes easier to hear God’s voice when He’s ready to reveal His mission for you.
Make a Plan St. Joseph was a man of action. Even before the angel appeared to him, he had a plan in place when he thought Mary had been cheating on him. Jesus had His plan in place as well, when He “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” If you want to discern like Joseph, you need to put a plan together. Have you considered what orders you’d like to visit?
Adjust the Plan Even though St. Joseph had a plan, he was open to changing course when God intervened to reveal His plan. Jesus also had to change His plans when He was afraid He’d be carried off and made king (cf. John 6:15). So make your plans, but like St. Joseph, be flexible when God is ready to reveal His plan.
Take Action As we said above, St. Joseph was a man of action. Once God revealed His plan, St. Joseph acted on it immediately. When Jesus knew His time had come, He deliberately set off for Jerusalem to fulfill God’s plan for Him. You can visit all the orders you like, but once you find one that you think is right for you, then it’s time to take action!

Discover St. Joseph’s 5 Step Discernment Process

There are so many things we sons learn from their fathers. Some of us learned to fish. Others learned to throw a baseball. Some learned how to work on cars. Others learned how to keep up with home repairs. Have you ever wondered what Jesus learned from St. Joseph?

Here is St. Joseph’s five-step discernment process that we see play out over and over again in Jesus’ life:

Are you ready to take action in your discernment?